$250k facelift

Dawasamu Secondary School head boy, Rusiate Delai, 17, and head girl Anaseini Maramanivalu in front of the newly opened school block at Dawasamu in Tailevu yesterday. Picture: JONACANI LALAKOBAU

STUDENTS of Dawasamu Secondary School, a school classified under the educational disadvantaged category by the Ministry of Education, yesterday had reasons to celebrate after the official opening of a new school block.

The new block that houses four classrooms and a computer lab will be used by Year 13 and Year 14 students.

The school block and the teachers' quarters was officially opened by Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.

The government, through the Ministry of Education, funded the $250,000 project.

"I have been hearing about the academic improvement happening in the school, especially in Form Six and Form Seven, and that is something you can be all proud of," Commodore Bainimarama said.

During his address to the 187 students, parents and villagers from the 16 villages in the district, he said the government was committed in producing educated people which started from educating the children.

"You all have heard me talking about the need to make Fiji a smarter country so that we can get top dollar for our goods and services, and improve our living standards.

"It all begins here in schools like this with you. As you know, we have eased the burden on your parents by providing free education in Fiji for the first time in primary and secondary schools students, we have also introduced a tertiary loan scheme so that you can get a loan to pay for higher studies at technical college or universities."